PCC Day 5

We started today dry, but with a forecast for rain most of the day, so I definitely put on the rain booties as well as a jacket before I left camp.  I skipped the rain pants because the temperature wasn't very low and I didn't want to sweat too much.

I was the last one out of camp again because everyone left early.  They were scared to be late for our 8:45 a.m. date with the North Bend police.  We had to ride about 12 miles and gather just north of the bridge into North Bend so that two police officers could give us an escort across the bridge.  The nature of this bridge and the time it day we would cross were not conducive to our safety.

After a number of non-rainy miles, I was feeling pretty warm and thought I made the wrong decision about my outerwear, however, it started to rain and then quickly got much harder.  I pulled in at our meeting point and huddled with some others under an overhang, but it did stop raining shortly after.

Waiting for the police escort across the bridge.

Daniella with one of our police escorts.

The bridge crossing went well and we continued through town with light off and on rain  and headed to Coos Bay.  Marking the route had been even more challenging than for the previous day.  Even the chalk paint wasn't holding up well to the conditions, so volunteers and staff were stationed at key areas to make sure we didn't miss any important turns.

At our first rest stop in Charleston, I took my rain jacket off because I knew we were about to do a major climb and it would be too hot, besides it seemed to have stopped raining.  

Our big climb was called the Seven Devils.  There are 7 hills to climb.  It feels like more, due to some false tops, but if you look at an elevation chart, you can see the seven peaks.

Sure enough, just past the first devil, which is one of the harder ones, it started raining, and not just a little bit.  I pressed on, wondering if I should pull over and get my rain jacket and pants out, but I went ahead without them.  Around the time I completed the 3rd devil, the rain eased up and then mostly stopped.

Each devil is spray painted with the number at the top of the peak, but the 5th devil is tricky.  There are a few climbs which make you think you must have reached the summit, only to find that there is no number on the pavement.  When you do see number 5, it is a relief because that means only two are left.  When you reach the 6th devil, you find out that you were tricked and THAT is really the top of number five!  Not a funny joke even if "HA HA HA HA" is painted there.  Which again leaves two more devils.

Bob and I did some picture taking between devils #6 and 7 (below).  The sun was starting to come out and causing some mist/fog.  It was great to get to #7.  Following that, there is a plateau before the downhill portion.  I stopped to take a picture of some rare forest gnomes and also put on my jacket for the downhill part.  I figured that since I was all wet from the earlier rain I would be freezing when the wind from going down started.  Wrong.  It wasn't cold at all.

Some well earned fooling around near the top of Seven Devils.

 

Gnomes are lucky, right?

At the top.

After the downhill, there is some meandering through some lovely forested areas and rolling hills that led back to 101.  We were back on the highway for a relatively short time before taking a side road and rolling into Bandon for rest stop #2 (and lunch at the Crab Shack).

Views as we exited Bandon.

Bandon.

Bandon.

It seemed the sun was ready to stay out at that point, which was great.  It continued all the way to our camp in Port Orford.  There was a fair amount of head wind with the sun, but much better than rain.

We made our way back to 101 and continued all the way down it to Port Orford.  While on the highway, I spotted a piece of art/statement about trash.

Trash eagle.

Our camping spot in Port Orford was in a different place that last year.  I knew it was on the far side of town, but as I saw the city limits sign and had not seen any arrows for quite a long time, I got concerned that I had some how missed the turn.  I stopped and called in to find out, but if I had just ridden another foot, I would have seen the arrow telling me where to go.  Oh well, better safe than sorry.

We fell asleep to the sounds of waves rolling in.

View near our camp.

Stats:
73.0 miles
3,138 feet of elevation gain